ladybird invasion.

Yesterday, we had a vast swarm of ladybirds around the house, and now they are huddled together inside the porch and several upstairs rooms.Most years we get a few, but I guess there must be at least 100.Has anyone else had this happen?

My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why IGot out of bed at allThe morning rain clouds up my windowAnd I can't see at all

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Any idea what kind they are? My parents' house seems to attract them and they get some big groups huddled in corners. Apparently they release a pheramone to tell their buddies that they've found a good spot to hang out for the winter. It has been suggested that swarms occur after a heatwave so chances are it could be a swarm year.

@punkdoc - if you have a look on the Rezzers 60 thread you'll see that Pansyface posted this morning saying there were swarms of ladybirds in her garden yesterday and that a lot have settled in her window casements. I think she lives in (nearly) the same part of the country as you.

We always have lots of ladybirds overwintering in the upstairs south facing casement window frames - also huddled in groups in the ceiling corners. I don't mind that - but I don't like having a ladybird shower when I open a window. Have to remember to open one window every day from now on so they don't settle there and I have at least one window I can use for ventilation without disturbing the insects.

Also seem to get a lot of lacewings hibernating in there as well.

Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down

Yes, we get them in their thousands every autumn. A warm, dry, sunny day seems to set them into motion.

Yesterday, if you stepped outside for more than a minute you had two on your neck, three in your hair and a couple crawling up your sleeves.

Here is a photo taken last year of a gate post not far from us. As you can see, they come in all shapes and sizes. I’m not going to be the one who decides who is acceptable and who is a pest. Even if I knew enough about them to eliminate the pests, I would be completely outnumbered.

I picked all our grapes the other day and left them in large bowls overnight ... the following day I had to rescue several native ladybirds ... I've noticed that in the early spring the trellis behind the vine is a favourite sunbathing spot for ladybirds so presume that they hibernate in the rough vine bark.

'There's a flower that shall be mine, 'tis the little celandine.' W Wordsworth

Yes, we get them in their thousands every autumn. A warm, dry, sunny day seems to set them into motion.

Yesterday, if you stepped outside for more than a minute you had two on your neck, three in your hair and a couple crawling up your sleeves.

Here is a photo taken last year of a gate post not far from us. As you can see, they come in all shapes and sizes. I’m not going to be the one who decides who is acceptable and who is a pest. Even if I knew enough about them to eliminate the pests, I would be completely outnumbered.

They are all Harlequins. Coming in all kind of disguise, that's why they're called Harlequins.